Improvement in wire stretcher for fence



W. B. HAYDEN.

Wire Stretcher.

No 81.367. Patented Aug. 25. 1868.

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WILLIAM B. HAYDEN, OF G -OLUMIS US, OHIO Letters Patent No. 81,367, dated August 25, 1868.

IMPROVEMENT IN WIRE STRETGHER IOR FENGE. I

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TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM B. HAYDEN, of Columbus, in the county ofFranklin, and State-of Ohio, have invented a new and improved Wire Stretcher; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification, in which- Figure l is a-view representing the improved wire stretchers applied to a wire fence. I

Figure 2 is an enlarged View, showing the construction of the parts forming the stretcher in position for holding wire under tension.

Fignre'3 is a top view of the stretcher.

Figure 4 shows the manner of applying a lever to the stretcher for tightening wires.

Similar letters'of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

Owing to the expansion and construction of ,long lines of wirc'fences and vine-training frames, it is desirable to have some contrivance which will allow the wires to be readily tightened or slackened at pleasure, and which will not be subject to injury in consequence of exposure to the weather.

The nature of. my invention consists in a hooked ratchetbar, having teeth upon its opposite edges, and provided with a hooked slide and pawl, which can be adjusted forward or backward by means of a lever, and set at any desired point between the ends of the ratchet-bar, while the said hooks are holding wires under tension, as will be hereinafter explained.

To enable-others skilled in the art to understand my invention, I will describe its construction and operation.

Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings represents a portion of a fence, which is constructed chiefly of wires, a a, which are secured to braced posts, A, and passed through intermediate posts, B B. The wires are secured fast in any suitable manner to posts A, which are arranged at proper distances apart, and which are strongly braced in upright positions, so as to resistconsiderable strain. I

The supporting-posts B are constructed with holes through them, through whichthc fence-wires pass freely for the purpose of allowing the wires which are stretched between the braced posts to be tightened or loosened. In this figure three lines of wires are represented, with my improved stretcher applied to each line, 'In figs. 2. 3, and 4, the stretcher is represented enlarged, for the purpose of more fully showing its peculiarities.

C represents a flat bar of metal, which may be made of any desired length, and which is constructed with a hook, c, on one end, turned upward for receiving and having fastened to it a wire, a, as shown'in figs. 1 and 2. The upper and lower edges of the-bar C are notched, so as to form teeth somewhat resembling saw-teeth.

Thetecth it, upon thc,upper edge of the bar C, serve as ratchet-teeth for receiving a pawl, e, which is formed upon an extension of a slide, 1), and holding the slide securely in position to plate 0, at any desired point. The teeth 2', upon the lower edge of bar 0, are designed to serve as fulcra for aforked lever, ,G, which is used for adjusting the slide andpawlupon the bar C'in the act of stretching or slacking the fence-wire. The long tooth g, onthelower edge of bar 0, at the end oppositehook 0, serves as a stop to prevent the slide from becoming detached-from its bar.

Upoirthe upper edge-of slide D, a hook, d, is formed, which is bent in an opposite direction to the hook c on bar 0, which hook at is designed for fastening the short wire a to the slide, as shown in figs. 1; 2, and 4. Between the engaging-end of the pawl c and the slide D, two tceth,ff, are formed on each sideof this pawl, so as to eirtend down and receive between them the upper edge of the'bar C. These teeth are adapted for receiving between them the forked ends, spot" lever G, whenvthis lever is adjusted so that the bevelled nose t, in its crotch, bears against one of the teeth-z upon the lower edge of bar C, as shown in fig. 4.

. When it is desired to tighten a wire applied to a fence, as shown in fig. 1, the lever Gvis adjusted so that its forked ends s engage with the teethfcn pawl e, and its nose, It, engages with one of the teeth 1'. When in this position, the pawl 43 can be lifted from its teeth, and, with the slide D, moved toward the hook c by simply drawing the lower end or long arm of lever G in an opposite direction.

The lever G will have to be moved along from tooth to tooth, according to the length of movement it is required to give the pawl-slide D.

To loosen the pawl-slide, and allow it to relax the wire, the lever .G is adjusted with its forked end. astride the upper edge of bar 0, so as to lift the engaging-end of the pawl from its teeth, 2'.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A hooked ratchet-bar, G, constructed with teeth, h l, and a' hook, c, in combination with a hooked sliding-pawl, said parts being adapted to operate substantially in the manner and for the purposes described.

2. A hooked ratchet-bar, G, and a. hooked sliding-pawl adapted for receiving a lever, G, for efieeting the tightening and loosening of wire in fences and vine-frames, substantially as described. I

WM. 13. HAYDEN.

Witnesses:

J. H. MARTIN, W. E. Home. 

